Hayth met the Yankees many times on
and off the battlefield. During lulls in the fighting,
warrious often met as friends and did some serious
trading. Southern tobacco was in great demand by
the Unioon troops. The Southern boys long for the
tase of coffee which was in very short supply
because of the blockade. So, men who tried
earnestly to kill one another during the day often
met at night to barter.
Little is known of the exact transaction
between Hayth and one of his counterparts in the
Union army, but each soldier rode off on the
other's horse when the dealing was done.
Within hours of the deal, Hayth knew that he
had gotten the better part of the trade when his
horse, with no rider, came back to camp. Had the
Union rider been shot? Had the horse bolted? Had
the Confederate horse refused to serve with the
Northern army? No answer was given, but it was
clear that Hayth had swapped one horse and now he
had two.
Courtesy: Roy Hayth
